Electrical connection



H. M. SMITH.

ELECTRICAL CONNECTION. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 6, 1921.

.2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

vwento'c Patented Sept. 12, 1922.

H. M. SMITH.

ELECTRICAL CONNECTION.

APPLICATION FILED JAN-6,192!- Patented Sept. 12, 1922.

SHEET 2.

-2 SHEETS- amvemtoz Patented Sept. 12 1922; 7

UNITED STATES.

HERBERT M. SMITH, or rnnmn'e'ron, ooNNnorIcU'r.

ELECTRICAL QONNECTION.

Application filed January 6, 1921. Serial No. 485,309.

To all whom it may concern:

Be .it known that I, HERBERT M. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Farmington, county of Hartford, State of Connecticut, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Electrical Connections, of which the following'is' a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to electrical connections, and'has for its object to provide a hinged connection electrically connecting conductors carried by an operating handle with conductors carried by the member to which said handle is hinged without requiring the use of flexible conductors. It is particularly adapted for use with machines such as vacuum cleaners and floor scrubbing machines. Heretofore such connections have been made by means of 'flexi; ble stranded conductors which, when subjected to use, are continually subjected to a so that the fine bending or flexing action, copper strands become crystallized and eventuallybreak, rendering the device inoperative and requiring frequent repair. In my invention the connections are made bymeans of rubbing contacts sothat the flexing or bendin is eliminated, with the result that difiiou ties due to such-flexing and bending are not present. A further object of my invention is to provide'a' s mple and effective mechanical means 1n which the parts can be easily assembled and (11S- assembled by unskilled .persons.

The following is a description of my invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which, i

Figure 1 shows ,a side elevation of a portion of a vacuum cleaner embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of the lower end of the handle-and-the adjacent portion of the motor casing;

3 is a section on the line. 3-3 of 1g. FFig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of 1g. 5; i Fig. 5 is a rear elevation of the handle;

Fig. 6 is a section of the handle on the line 6-6 ofFig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a section on the line 7-7 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 8 is a detail of one of the bushings;

Fig. 9 is a side elevation showing in detail one. of the contacts in its preferred form and grooves 16 for tively.

7 Fi 10is a; perspective view showing the relation of an eyelet contact and the insulati on surrounding one of the pivot-pins.

- Referring more-particularly to the drawings,'1 is a'motor driven device such for instance as a vacuum cleaner. 2 is the operating handle for the same having a central bore through which passes, a pair of conducting wires 3. 4 are conductors connected to the motor of the machine. The handle is rovided at its lower end with a metallic errule 5. This ferrule surrounds the lower end of the handle 2 and has at its lower pprtion a sleeve 6 having a transverse bore. ithin the bore of this sleeve is an iIisulat in tube 7 having slots 8--8 formed of each si e of a separating portion 9. Located within the central portion ofthetube 7 and in line with the portion 9 is an insulating disk 10. The tube and disk are/held in place by a set-screw 10'. Upon each side of said insulating disk are metallic bushings 11-11. These bushings preferably have 'their'inn'er ends closed as shown in Fig. 3. The sleeve 6, u on the lower' end' of the ferrule, is provi ed with an opening 12 which exposes portions of the bushings 11-11 lying beneath the slots 8-8. Mounted on these bushings and in line with said slots are binding screws 13-13 (Figs. 4 and 5), to which the ends of the conductors 3 are respectively connected, as shown in 5. he frame of the motor driven device is provided with upward extensions 14-14 which have openings in line with the transverse opening. in the sleeve 6. Fitting within these openings are pivot-pins comprising cylindrical insulating blocks 15- 15, which carry reduced metallic portions 16--16, the same being providedv with aslumbago and projections v16 which pre erably make screw-threaded engagement with their insulating blocks respeccircumferential metallic projections 17 forming shoulders at the bases of the reduced portions for the purpose hereinafter described. 15-15 forming the enlarged portions of the pivot-pins is slightly oounterboredso as to extend slightly beyond the outer faces of the shoulders 17 and form a recess for eyelet contacts 20. The free ends of the pivot-pins enter the bores within the bush lubricating material such These pins are also provided with The insulation of the blocks ings 11-11 and make electrical contact therewith. They are also engaged by springs 18-18 which bear against the closed ends of the metallic bushings so as to form fan casing.

stant lateral engagement with both the bushings and the pivot shoulders. Each contact is provided with a downward projection 21, the lower end of which is surrounded with' an insulating bushing 22 and forms means for connecting the contact to a conductor leading to or' from the motor so as'xto form a terminal therefor.

The resiliency of the eyelets is produced by slitting them at the point. 21 and bending the por tions laterally, as shown in Fig.9, the material being preferably of phosphor bronze.

The resiliency of the eyelets assists in maintaining electrical contact and compensates for wear of the contacting surfaces.

In connecting the handle to the machine, the bushings 11-11 are brou ht into alinement with the openings in tie projections 14 and thereupon the pivot-pins comprisin the insulating blocks 15 carry portions 16 are slipped in p ace, the springs 18 having previously been introduced. The blocks 15 are then secured by the set-screws 19. This brings the bushings 11-11 and the flanges 18 on opposite sides of the eyelet terminals so that t springs 18 are held under the desired pressure and form an electrical connection between the conductors 3 and the conductors 4 respectively, the current from one of the bushings 11-11 directly to the corresponding eyelet 20 and partly from one of the bushings 11 through the-sprin 18 and pivot member 16 with its collard? to the corresponding eyelet terminaLf .i

The shanks 21 of the eyelet terminal are held stationary relatively to the motor, this .beingdo'neby forming radial grooves at 15' in the inner ends of the blocks 15-in which those shanks are held, as shown in Fig. 10 and by" the insulating bushings 22. v I The upper portion of the sleeve '6 extends overthe endof the insulatingblock 1'5-and 4 so as not to engage the shank 21 and make an electrical grounfil, T e. handleis limited by its lower side is cut away whatever the position of the handle. swinging motion of the the motor housing'23 and the stop 24 on the -With t is construction the only exposed portions of the electrical circuit are those which appear through the opening 12 andthe portions of the shanks below the insulatmg the reduced e eyelet terminals and p g par lytransverse bore, bore and insulated from said member, a secing blocks 15. The openings 12 can be filled with ordinary electrical sealing wax which insulates the conductors entirely at that point and also prevents the loosening of the bindin screws 13. The other ortions are so concea d as not to be accessible from a prac tical standpoint.

. The construction thus described makes a durable and efficient hinged electrical connection-in which there are no easily accessible exposed portions and in whichthe undesirable flexin and bending of conductors is entirely elimlnated, so that a durable and .eilicient electrical connection is produced. urthermore, the construction is such that it can easily be assembled and disassembled and can be assembled by persons other than skilled mechanics.

' As will be evident to those skilled in the second member having an opening in line with said bore, a removable pivot-pm secured therein having a metallic portion insulated from said. second member and entering said bushing, and means for electrically connect- 1n conductors to said bushing and said metafiic portion.

' 2. The combination of a member having a transverse bore, a metallic bushing in said bore and insulated from said member, a second member having an opening in l1ne,

with said bore, a removable pivot-pin secured therein having a metallic portion insulated from said second member and entering said bushing, means for electrically con necting conductors to said bushing and said metallic portion, and resilient means .within said bushing forming an electrical connec tion between said metallic portion and said bushin v 3. T e combination of a member having a transversebore, a metallic bushing in said bore and insulated from said member, a second member having an opening in line with said bore, a removable pivot-pin secured therein and entering said bushing, and

a resilient terminal contact bearing against" the endof said bushing through which said iv'ot-pin enters, and a binding post on said ushing for connecting a conductor thereto.

4. The combination of a member having a a metallic bushing in said,

0nd member having an opening in line with re, a removable pivot-pin secured the in and enterin said bushing, a resilierft eyelet contact firming a terminal sur rounding said pivot-pin and bearing against the end of said bushing through which said portion, a resilient contact embracing said.

- movable shouldered pivot-pin havingan enpivot-pin enters, and a binding post on said bushing for connecting a conductor thereto.

5. In an electrical connection, two relatively movable metallic members having portions provided with alining openings,- a metallic bushing within the opening in one of said members and insulated fromsaid member, a removably secured pivot-pin having an enlarged portion within the opening in said other member and a reduced portionprojecting into said bushin a resilient contact embracing the reduce portion of said pivot-pin and bearing against the end of said bushing, and means for connecting conductors to said bushing and contact respectively. v I

6. In an electrical connection, two relatively movable metallic members having portions provided with alining openings, a

metallic-bushing within the opening in oneof said members and insulated from said member, a removably secured pivot-pin having an enlarged portion within the open in said other'member and a reduced mein tafiic portion projecting into said bushing, a

metallic shoulder connected to said reduced reduced portion and bearing against the end of said bushing and said shoulder, and means for connecting conductors to said bushing and contact respectively. 1

7. In an electrical connection, two rela tively movable metallic members having portions rovided with alining openings, a metallic ushing within the opening in one of said members and insulated, therefrom, a relarged portion within the opening in said other member and a reduced metallic portion projecting into'said bushing, a metallic shoulder'connected to saidreduced portion, a resilient contact embracing said reduced portion and bearing against the end of said bushing and said shoulder, means for connecting conductors to said bushin and contact respectively, said bushing being closed at its inner end, and a spring within said bushing engaging its inner end and the end of said metallic reduced, portion.

.8. In an electrical connection, two relatively, movable metallic members having portions provided with a'lining openings, a metallic bushing within the opening in one of said members and-insulated from said member, a removably secured pivot-pin having an enlarged portion within the opening in said other member and a reduced portion projecting into said bushing, a resilient eyelet terminal embracing the reduced portion of said pivot-pin and bearing against the within said bushing 'bein end of'said bushing, means for connecting conductors to said bushingand contact respectively, and adjustable means engaging said enlarged portion and holding said pivot-pin in place. 1

9. In an electrical connection, two relatively movable metallic members, one" of which has a single projection andthe other of which has two projections embracing said single projection, said three projections havingalining openings, two metallic bushings within the opening, in said single projection and insulated from its member, two

removable pivot-pins each having a portion secured within one of the openings in said other member and a portion projecting into said metallic bushings respectively, two

resilientcontacts embracing the pins and bearing against the ends of said bushings, and means for connecting conductors to said bushings and said contacts respectively.

10. In a pivotal connection for an electrical apparatus, the combination of a member having a metallic projection on its lower end provided with a transverse bore, a tube of insulating material within said bore, two bushings within said tube, a second member providedwith two metallic projections lo-' cated at opposite ends of the bore in said metallic projection and provided with openings in line with said bore, pivot-pins removabl secured in said openin s and entering sai bushing, the ends of said pivot-pins metallic and insulated from the secon I member, metal shoulders connected to said metallic ends elements in one of said members, and two.

relatively fixed metallic elements in the other member telescopically received within the first mentioned elements, respectively, and pivotally movable relatively thereto about a common axis, and means for connecting electrical conductors with said metallic elements.

HERBERT M. SMITH. 

